I pretty much assume there is no point but I can always be wrong.
As far as I know you need to bake GI to actually utilize the functions PBR Materials have. I assume if you don’t bake GI it’s pretty much like any-other texture Material (no bounce) but with a bit more detail then standard arguably (depending on artist).
Basically my question is:
is there any point in using PBR if using a realtime Dungeon Generator and wont be able to bake GI?
Thank you all for your time and consideration in this matter.
PBR stands for Physically Based Rendering. It applies in all situations where you have lighting, baked or not. You maybe wouldn’t want it in a toon shaded game, or something with a specific artistic style, but mostly it is a benefit. Along with Image Based Lighting (skybox lighting) and Unitys Reflection Probes it can help make a scene look much more professional.
The best way to see is to try it yourself. Take a model for your game, make a PBR version, and compare. It’s not a magic button, but it’s an important feature that can bring a lot of visual fidelity to a game relatively easily (not to undermine the process, it is complex, moreso than just slapping a diffuse texture and normal map on a surface and being done).
PBR is not the same as GI. You can have a real time reflection probe, for example, in a generated dungeon that is used by PBR materials.
The GI process is quite heavy, and is something you want to do before you ship your game. Not sure if it would be feasible to get GI in a dynamically generated level, even it if were possible, due to the bake times involved.
Afaik currently this is not really an option, but it has been mentioned as a possibility for the future. There might be post effects on the asset store that simulate a bit of bouncelight in an SSAO effect.
There is nothing official but Unity i think is working on it.
Cryengine has it from lot of years and Unreal 4 devs are already proposing and experimental real time GI using LPV, it’s better than nothing and some experimented users are also trying other real time GI systems.
But baked GI would stay faster and good for many game cases that are not using small levels.
Crysis 3 on consoles or Ryze using Cry engine, this is real time GI.
But yes majority of consoles is not real time GI as this asks lot more processing power than baked methods and it you can save power for other things to manage.
It’s an approximation of realtime GI that is grotesquely simplified and specifically optimised for that particular game. Same as any cryengine game on consoles. You aren’t getting the GI you think you are
I know but it is better than nothing or shadows only , and there is no baking times, usefull for large open worlds where baking turns into a nightmare or incredibly long times.
Some big games used grid of lightening/reflection probes generated and storing light values, it was very fast baking probes light values while delivering good result on big outdoor levels.
Crysis 3 looks amazing specially for such big world levels. Baking would take you days for common people having only one PC.
It is a choice baked with incredibly long times , so no quick feedback on game lightening or real time and direct feedback on lightening. I bet lot more in real time lightening approximative solutions.
